Thus I Wrote

Red hair and green ivy
Brown freckles and laughing play
My childhood full of light
I remember it that way

The river and the green fields
The ocean and the seaweed
I lived by the sea when I was young
On a farm where the animals feed

The pig and the yearly killing
The blood and the community
My mother always cried inside
So they could not see

Brown corduroy and cropped hair
A shy and worried smile
Different and often alone
Punch was a frightening trial

Incence and fancy dress
The magic of the feast
Enthralled by the church
I could have been a priest

Her blue eyes and blonde hair
I love memories of this
I was so ignorant of life
But she gave me first kiss